Idea

Even glass-plastic hybrid connections have been used very successfully for quite a while in the field of laminated glass technology. Connecting glass sheets with relatively thick interlayers of special syn­thetics result in sheets which have a high breaking resistance. This construction form is limited to ele­ments such as shop windows, security walls in buildings, doors, etc. (Business, 2003). Substantial in­vestigations showed that there is no approach to deploy these hybrid connections – in a new quality – to create carrying elements.

When designed correctly the plastic sheets are capable of transmitting normal as well as shearing stresses, even though the e-modulus of the plastic is significantly lower than the one of glass. The glass sheets within the hybrid elements can be coupled shear proof over the plastic sheets when appro­priate adhesive techniques are deployed. In doing so, one achieves cross-sections with a favourable longitudinal force and bending carrying capacity while the coupling element is not in danger of a brit­tle fracture like glass since it is made of ductile plastic. The transmission of shearing forces between bridge and flange occurs through the ductile plastic. (See Fig. 4)